Shattered Memories
by zachalope64
Summary: Sora awakens in an unfamiliar place, Donald and Goofy missing. With the aid of some new friends, Sora heads of on a new adventure in search of those he has lost. Little does he know darkness is once again rising.
1. Dive to the Heart

_The memory; a thought held through the passage of time._

 _Though it seems fragile, if allowed to grow, it can become a powerful guiding force._

 _It can change or fade as time passes, but a memory can never truly die._

Falling… falling… falling…

A boy fell amidst a sea of darkness, his spiky brown hair seemingly unaffected by the descent. He showed no signs of panic, instead appearing to be in a deep slumber as he plummeted towards an unknown location. His intricate outfit was unusual by most standards, consisting of a hyper-stylized red jumpsuit and black jacket. The outfit had a wide variety of zippers and chains, the necklace in particular featuring a silver crown-shaped pendant. His hands were adorned with a pair of equally unique fingerless gloves, while his yellow shoes were clearly oversized.

As the youth fell, a myriad of scenes rushed through his head. A white castle, black coats, a blue robe… The scenes, though fragmentary, spoke of a great conflict. They rung of familiarity, yet the boy's subconscious could not decipher their meaning. It was as if they were pieces to a puzzle, one that had lost to many pieces to solve.

The youth continued to fall for what seemed like an eternity, hurtling towards a solitary platform whose surface was as dark as the surrounding void. The boy's descent slowed as he neared the platform, and, as if controlled by a master puppeteer, his position was reversed slowly. He landed with a graceful tap, causing a transformation of the platform's surface. From the point of contact, the dark surface dissolved into a flock of doves that flew away with grace. The floor that the boy now stood on was not one of murky darkness, but rather a pristine stained glass mural.

The beautiful floor depicted a magnificent wizard raising his arms, likely casting a spell of great power. His robes were a deep blue, reminiscent of the night sky, while his cap of the same color was decorated with several yellow stars and crescent moons. A noble beard hung from his chin, dinged gray from a long life and much wisdom. His very presence would likely demand respect from anyone he would encounter, whether they be friend or foe.

The boy groggily opened his eyes, clearly still more asleep than awake. He stared into the abyss, showing no emotion and no sign of thought, acting as a doll without a purpose. A voice silent as the depths of space spoke to the boy.

 _You have lost something precious, haven't you? You're memories have been lost, but they can be reclaimed. Try to remember. What is precious to you? Can you remember what you treasured most?_

For a few moments, the boy continues to gaze into the nothingness. As if through an epiphany, the boy's expression changed from one of emptiness to one of realization. Four illusory figures appeared before him, signifying the return of a memory. One was a duck garbed in blue, one was a tall dog in green and orange, one was another boy in yellow and dark blue, and the final was a girl with a brilliantly bright smile. The figures vanished as quickly as they had appeared, leaving behind only their shadows.

 _Your friends give you strength when your own is gone. As long as you never forget your friends, you will never be alone. You have remembered your treasure. Now… Can you remember your quest?_

The shadows steadily grew into impish pitch-black creatures. The monsters slowly approached the boy, forcing him to slowly step backwards in fear.

 _The Heartless, beings created from hearts corrupted through darkness. You need not fear them, for you possess the weapon they fear most._

The boy looked around himself, hoping to find anything that could help him against the darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw an unusual object floating above a pedestal. The object was a blue ensiform weapon decorated with stars and crescent moons. At first glance, most would have considered such an object more a piece of art than a weapon. With no other options, the youth quickly grabbed the unusual object. Upon contact, the weapon changed its form to one more familiar to some part of him deep inside; an oversized silver key with two cylindrical teeth and a golden handle guard.

At first, the youth marveled at the weapon and its transformation. After remembering the danger around him, however, he quickly swung the weapon as if he had done it countless times before. The shadowy creatures reeled in defeat, dissolving into the surrounding darkness

 _As the one chosen by the Keyblade, you have defeated many Heartless. You searched far for your friends while dispelling the darkness. You have remembered your quest._

A shining staircase extended from the platform, beckoning the youth's advance. After following the multicolored pathway, the boy arrived at another platform with a floor as intricate as the last. This stained glass floor depicted two boys, both identical to the one who had just arrived. Both figures held a Keyblade in their hand, sitting back to back with vastly different expressions. One gazed above with a joyful grin while other slept with his head facing the ground. Besides this detail, their poses were perfectly symmetrical.

The boy looked around as the muted voice again spoke.

 _Now… Can you remember who you are?_

The boy turned around to see his shadow stretching, growing into another dark entity. This one, however, was much larger, towering over its former owner. A large heart-shaped hole occupied its chest and relatively small wings grew from its back. Hair like strands of darkness hung from its head wildly.

Upon seeing this goliath, the boy coward, though only for a moment.

 _Remember your friends. Remember that you hold the key. If you do, the Heartless can never take you._

The boy summoned the key-like weapon, materializing it from thin air. With a determined expression, he charged at the monstrosity. After a long and difficult struggle, the giant dissolved into the void. A door appeared in the center of the stage, again accompanied by the soundless voice.

 _You are the Keyblade bearer and a friend to many. Though you have been through much, your journey is far from over._

 _Your name is Sora._

The boy known as Sora approached the door, opening it to reveal a blinding light. Having regained his memories and identity, he walked through the door unafraid, ready to face his next adventure.


	2. Tranquil Town

_Where the rising sun never breaks free of the horizon, dreams both begin and end..._

Sora woke abruptly from a strange yet familiar dream, his head throbbing as if he had eaten too much ice cream. He quickly sat up and, in an attempt to gather his bearings, he looked around only to see a place he had never been before. Besides the vast green plains that surrounded him, all Sora could see was a small town. It stood below the cliff Sora sat upon, enveloped by the golden sky above. The sun seemed to be rising, but Sora couldn't be sure, as it never seemed to move. Sora stood up and called for his traveling companions who were nowhere in sight.

"Donald! Goofy!"

But no response came.

Looking around once more, he found a road leading into the town below following it in the hope of finding his friends. The city was comprised mostly of gray brick buildings, most of which appeared to be nearly identical. The townsfolk seemed more than content with their lives, as not a single sad face could be found. The only exception was a man in a black coat, its hood hiding his face.

"I've never seen you before," spoke an elegant voice from behind Sora. "What brings you to Tranquil Town?"

Sora turned around to see a beautiful woman dressed in a complex outfit comprised of an extremely detailed dress and an equally ornate horned crown.

"Tranquil Town?" Sora asked.

"Yes. This town has been a safe haven from the Heartless for many years now. I am its mayor, Hilda," the beautiful woman explained, her fondness for her city clear in her words.

"A town safe from Heartless…" Sora pondered the thought. He had been to many towns before, but none were truly safe from the forces of darkness. His thoughts quickly returned to his friends. "Have you seen my friends? One's a duck with a really bad temper and the other's… I think he's a dog?"

"So you've lost your pets?" Hilda questioned.

Sora shook his head. "No, they're not my pets. They're my friends. We come from… a different land," he stuttered, stumbling over his words in an attempt to protect the world order.

Hilda smiled. "You don't need to worry, I know about the other worlds."

"You do?"

"Yes. The people of this town, myself included, came from other worlds after the darkness took our own. As for your friends, I'm afraid I haven't seen them."

Sora's eager expression turned into one of disappointment.

"Don't worry. If they were here, I'm sure one of the citizens must have seen them."

Sora nodded his head in agreement. "Right!' He ran further into the town, hoping to find some sign of his friends, but with no luck. Unfortunately, none of the townsfolk had seen any sign of Donald or Goofy. Sora continued along one of the town's paths, eventually stumbling upon a some being used as tables for various items. In the center of the site stood a large multicolored device. A rabbit fiddled with it from below, deeply engrossed in his work. While most wouldn't know what the unusual object was, Sora immediately recognized it.

"Wow, a gummi ship!" Sora exclaimed.

Startled by the sudden comment, the rabbit quickly sat up, promptly hitting his head on the ship. After crawling out from under it, he slowly stood up while rubbing his head. The rabbit turned to look at his ship's admirer. "How do you know what a Gummi Ship is?" The rabbit paused to get a better look at Sora. "Wait... Don't I know you?"

"I don't think so... " Sora replied, thinking of all the worlds he had been to before.

The rabbit looked down, trying to remember where he had seen the boy. Meanwhile, Sora noticed a shimming object from the corner of his eye. Summoning his Keyblade, Sora deflected an incoming dagger, knocking it into the ground.

"A Keyblade?" The rabbit marveled at Sora's weapon. "Then you're…" The rabbit turned his head, seeing the creature that threw the dagger.

It was an unusual entity with pure white skin decorated with several yellow highlights. It's entire body seem to flow as if made from paper, preparing several more daggers in a hypnotizing, almost dance-like fashion. Despite its humanoid frame, it was clearly not human.

Sora through his Keyblade at the creature, causing it to spin as it flew through the air. The Keyblade struck the creature, promptly returning to its owner's hand as the creature faded away.

"I thought Heartless couldn't come to this town…" Sora wondered, remembering his conversation with Hilda.

"Not bad, Keyblade Wielder," an unfamiliar voice spoke. Sora turned to see it's owner, the black coat wearing man from earlier. As he approached, the man removed his hood, revealing white hair wrapped with a multicolored bandana. Before stopping several feet in front of Sora, he summoned a longsword whose hilt displayed a withered rose.

"Who are you?" Sora readied his Keyblade to battle a potential foe.

"Don't worry. I am not your enemy. Besides, the battle is far from over." As if on cue, five more of the white creatures appeared around the group.

"I'll take care of this!" the rabbit declared as he pulled a thin white stick from one of his blue jacket's many pockets. The wand began to sparkle as the rabbit summoned a flurry of ice. "Blizzard!" One of the creatures vanished, only to be replaced by three more.

"So the little rabbit can fight? Interesting…" said the cloaked man.

"Hey! I have a name, you know! It's Oswald!"

Sora attacked one of the creatures, swiping his Keyblade at another in quick succession. "What's your name?" he asked, looking at the mysterious man.

"It's Firion," he replied as he destroyed another of the creatures.

Within seconds, every one of the creatures had been defeated by the three warriors. Sora swung his Keyblade onto his shoulders, proud in a job well done. Sora looked at Firion again with a confused look. "So… If they weren't Heartless, what were they?"

"Nobodies," Firion explained. "Sometimes, when a person becomes a Heartless, their body becomes something… empty. A creature with no emotions… One who does not truly exist. Those ones specifically are called Thieves."

"But they're dangerous, right?"

"Sora!" Oswald interrupted. The look in his eyes was one of pure elation. "Do you know where Mickey is?"

"The king? How do you know about the king?" Sora queried.

"I… uhh… That's not important right now!" Oswald uttered with more than a hint of anxiety. "Have you seen him?

"The only time I saw him, he helped close the Door to Darkness. Now he's on the other side."

Oswald's expression turned once more, this time to despair. "I'll never see him again…"

"Don't worry! I'm going to find him! As soon as I find Donald and Goofy, anyway…"

"Donald and Goofy… I remember them!"

"They're not here," Firion chimed in. "I know Tranquil Town inside and out. If they were here, I would know."

"What makes you the expert, huh? I've never even seen you here before!" Oswald shouted.

"I have my ways."

Oswald snarled at Firion, then turning back to Sora. "I hate to admit it, but he's probably right. I'm guessing you and your friends used a Gummi Ship?"

"Yeah," Sora said.

"I thought so. I haven't seen any other Gummi Ships come through here in awhile. Now that I think about it… how did you get here?"

Sora stopped himself before speaking, thinking hard. "I don't... remember..."

Firion approached placing his palm on Sora's forehead. "I might be able to help." Sora's face went blank as Firion concentrated, closing his eyes. did Firion's eyes flew open in an expression of shock, but the display faded too fast to be noticed. He removed his hand as Sora's expression returned to normal.

"What did you do to him?" Oswald angrily stormed.

"I tried to read his memories. It's an ability I gained some time ago," Firion calmly responded. "Unfortunately, he must have been unconscious when he came to Tranquil Town. I can't read his memories of getting here."

Oswald sent a suspicious glare as Firion before turning back to Sora. "It doesn't matter," he proudly stated as he closed the opening in the bottom of his ship. "I've decided! I'll help you find your friends.

"You will?" Sora exclaimed, beaming from ear to ear.

"Yep! I finished my repairs, so we can leave whenever you're ready!"

"Thanks!" Sora said as a staircase extended from the ship's side, revealing an entrance. Sora darted up the stairs, excited for a new adventure and the possibility of finding his friends.

"I'll be coming as well, of course," Firion declared, also walking towards the ship's entrance.

"Why should I let you come!? I don't know who you are!" Oswald protested.

"Aw, come on Oswald. He doesn't seem like a bad guy!" Sora begged, standing in the ship's opening. "He even helped us fight the Nobodies."

Oswald gritted his teeth, clearly not happy with the idea. "Fine… But if you do anything suspicious, I'll kick you out myself!" he wailed, jumping up and down with fists clenched.

"I can live with that."

When the unusual trio had entered the Gummi Ship, it slowly lifted off. A Keyblade wielder, a rabbit, and a man with mysterious powers… who knew what destiny had in store for them next.

 **Secret Log 1**

I have been watched by this Organization for as long as I can remember, forced to fight strange creatures of various shapes and sizes. What do my keepers want and why to they keep me here? I feel no emotions behind their words and at times it feels as if they aren't truly there. I wonder if they can even be trusted.

My only friends are the whispers, strange voices that speak in tongues I cannot understand. For some reason, my keepers cannot hear them. Despite their incomprehensible words, they bring me a feeling of peace I find difficult to describe.

My time here has given me far too many questions and each day seems to bring even more. Amongst these questions, however, one plagues me more than any other. What am I? I am not like my keepers, I'm sure of that. I wonder if even they know. If they do, they won't tell me.

So be it. I'll find the truth for myself. I've stolen a journal so that I may gather my thoughts. They cannot hide the truth from me forever.


	3. War & Wisdom

The doors of Olympus Coliseum opened as Sora and new friends approached. In the center of the roofless vestibule stood two figures; one a glowing hero donned in and a stout satyr seemingly waiting for them.

"Hercules!" Sora shouted as he ran to meet an old friend.

"Sora! It's good to see you! How have you been?" Hercules responded.

Before Sora could respond, the satyr, Phil, interjected. "Perfect timing, kid! We were just about to close down sign-ups for the next tournament. It's called the Hero Cup! Heroes from all around the world are gonna compete for the grand prize! There's still time to join."

"I'd love to!" Sora exclaimed.

"Priorities, Sora," Oswald interrupted. "We don't have time for a tournament."

"Aw, come on, Oswald! It'll be fun! Plus Donald and Goofy might be here!"

Oswald scowled, for some reason not happy with the decision but unable to deny the possibility. "Fine. But just this tournament," he scoffed. Oswald walked away, sitting down on the ground.

"What's up with him?" Sora asked.

"Alright… Sora!" Phil said he chiseled Sora's name onto a tablet of participants. "You're all set!"

The entrance doors once again opened, but with much more force. A red god clad in armor walked towards the group. "Sport!" he shouted, looking at Hercules. "You never told me you had a Coliseum!"

"Ares?" Hercules shouted, not expecting the company. "Why are you here? I thought you hated sports."

"Of course I do! They're a waste of physical talent," Ares replied. "But this isn't a place for sports! It's a place for combat! Warrior's fighting to the death… that's my kind of competition!" Ares almost seemed to have stars in his eyes as he spoke.

"Who's he?" Sora asked Phil as Ares droned on.

"That's Ares, the god of war. Try not to get on his bad side, okay kid?"

Ares stopped his rant as he looked at Sora with a look of confusion. "Who's the squirt?"

"That's Sora. He's going to be in the tournament," Hercules responded.

"A scrawny kid like him?" Ares said as he laughed. "He wouldn't last five seconds!"

"Hey! I'm a lot stronger than I look! I even beat Hercules!" Sora shouted.

Ares stopped laughing in shock, quickly turning to Hercules for confirmation.

"It's true. He's not bad," Hercules humbly admitted.

"Well, I'll be! You beat Sport? I'm impressed!" Ares said as he patted Sora on the back, knocking Sora to the ground. "Whoops! Sorry about that. Sometimes I don't know my own strength," he said still grinning as helped Sora off of the ground. "What's your name again, squirt?"

"Sora," he replied.

"That's a stupid name, I'm gonna call you Squirt," Ares said. He looked up into the sky. "Apollo's moving fast today, isn't he? I gotta go. Lands to conquer and wars to wage, you know the deal."

Aries marched to the coliseum gates as proudly as he had entered. As Ares left through the coliseum gates, he shouted at Sora. "I'll be rooting for you, Squirt!"

"Oh boy… I was hoping he wouldn't show up…" Phil said to himself with his head in his hand.

"Have you had trouble with him before?" Sora asked.

"He has a bit of a… short temper. He's generally harmless, though," Hercules responded.

"Easy for you to say. You're a demigod!" Phil exclaimed.

"It's fine, Phil. I'll make sure he doesn't cause any trouble. Just focus on the tournament for now," Hercules said.

"You're right… Alright, kid, the Hero's Cup starts in an hour. Don't be late!" Phil said, regaining his composure.

"I won't!" Sora said, ready for the challenge.

Sora easily won his first few matches without any difficulties, but instead of the cheering and support he was used to, he was greeted with silence from his new friends.

"Guys… I won," Sora said timidly.

"Good job," Firion calmly replied as he leaned against the wall, not even raising his head to look at Sora.

Meanwhile, Oswald sat on the ground mumbling to himself. Sora could've sworn he heard Oswald say "waste of time" at least once during his quiet rant.

Sora looked at the ground, wondering if this tournament was really a good idea. Meanwhile, Phil entered the room, focusing on a stone tablet in his hands. "Alright, kid. You're next opponent is…"

Phil froze in place, as did Oswald and Firion, as a bright light flashed behind Sora. He turned around to see another god, this one a blue woman. Sora let out a gasp of astonishment at the strange event.

"You must be this Sora I've heard so much about," the goddess said with a dignified voice.

"You know who I am?" Sora asked.

"Of course. I am Athena, the goddess of wisdom, it is my nature to know these things. I've heard of you're exploits here in the coliseum. You not only fight with your strength, but you're wit as well. That is rare these days."

"Thanks!" Sora said with a huge grin.

"Listen, Sora, I must speak with you about something important. I heard you've spoken to my brother, Ares. I do hope he hasn't planted any dangerous ideas inside your head."

"I don't think so… He just showed up and left."

"That's good to hear," Athena said. "I would like to grant you my blessing in the tournament, Keyblade bearer."

"You know about the Keyblade?"

Athena chuckled. "I know many things, it is my purpose as the goddess of wisdom. I even know you're not of this world"

Sora's eyes opened wide, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Do not worry, Sora. You're secret is safe with me. It would be dangerous for the worlds to meet, but you seem to be an exception. You have only done good." Athena began to walk away, preparing to leave.

"Wait!" Sora shouted, remembering something very important. "Do you know where my friends are? Donald and Goofy?"

"I'm afraid not. I do not know everything, despite my title. But I'm sure you will find them." Athena smiled before disappearing into a flash.

"...Mentor. I hope you're ready, he's a tough one." Phil glanced up from the tablet to see Sora staring at the wall. "You okay, kid?"

"What just happened?" Sora wondered aloud.

"I just told you who you next opponent is, kid! Come on, this isn't the time to space out!" Phil shouted.

Sora snapped back to focus, turning to look at Phil. "The weirdest thing just happened. A blue goddess…"

Phil interrupted Sora's thought, "Yeah, yeah. Listen, kid. You gotta focus on the tournament!"

"Right!" Sora said as he summoned his Keyblade, ready for another fight.


	4. The Havoc Beast

As Sora won another match, the crowd cheered wildly. Athena herself descended from her spot on Mount Olympus to congratulate his winning streak, announcing her support to all of Greece. However, while Sora was celebrating another victory, someone else was looking back at his countless losses.

Miles from Olympus Coliseum stood the city-state of Sparta. It's soldiers were strong and loyal, following their leader, the god of war Ares, into countless battles. Ares had recently returned from his visit to the coliseum, planning his next conquest. Or he would, rather, if a certain obstacle didn't stand in his way.

"I don't get it!" Ares shouted as he smashed his hands against the table. If it hadn't been made by Hephaestus, the table would've likely been in pieces. He had likely lost many tables that way. "I've sent assassins, monsters, and even my sons!" He rubbed his forehead as if he had a migraine. "Not that they could start a war if they tried…" Ares regained his anger quickly, resuming his train of thought. "But I still can't take Athens! No matter what I do, Athena's always one step ahead of me!"

A new voice spoke from behind Ares. "What's this? A foe even the great god of war cannot defeat?" The voices owner was a masked man garbed in complex darkly-colored clothes. On his torso was an intricate symbol loosely resembling a heart chained by thorns, a symbol that could strike fear into those who knew its meaning. He had picked up a figure from Ares' table, seemingly inspecting it's every feature closely.

"Who are you and how did you get into my planning room!" Ares screamed, his anger boiling. "Did those lazy idiots let you in? Fear! Terror!"

"No need to worry. I allowed myself in."

"Who do you think you are? Let me guess… You're one Athena's 'diplomats?'" Ares made sure to emphasize the last word with a sarcastic tone and matching hand gestures. "Well, too bad! I'm not gonna let you talk me out of it this time!"

"I assure you, I have no connection to Athena. In fact," the man said has he gently placed the figurine back in its place, "I also believe Athens should fall."

Ares stopped for a moment, stunned by the unexpected response. "You do? I mean, of course you do!" Ares regained a cheerful, if not aggressive, mood. "I'll destroy my sister's precious Athens, weather she likes it or not!"

"Let's not be overconfident," the masked man calmly said. "You're certainly stronger than her, but you can't deny that she is a worthy opponent."

"Hah! For me? I'm the god of war!" Ares arrogantly boasted.

"When was the last time you defeated her?" the masked man asked with a devilish grin. Ares' confidence was replaced by annoyance, unable to think of response.

"Don't worry," the masked man continued, "I can help you."

"What could you do that I haven't already tried?"

"You've heard of the Heroes Cup, correct?"

"You mean Sport's tournament? Yeah, I just went over there."

"It appears *Athena has picked a champion. If that champion were too fall, it could lower her morale."

"I get it…" Ares said, cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "So all we have to is beat this champion! Who is this guy?"

The masked man summoned an orb in his hand, the orb displaying the image of a youth armed with a key-like weapon. "His name is Sora."

Ares began to laugh. "Squirt? He's my champion!"

"It seems he disagrees," the masked man said as the orb's image shifted to a victorious Sora standing next to Athena.

Ares' mouth dropped, his face displaying a mixture of shock and anger. If his face wasn't already a bright shade of red, it would've just gone crimson with rage. "That traitor! I'll destroy him!" he shouted as he clenched his fists.

"I don't doubt that you could, but you shouldn't waste your energy on him."

"You're right! I get my best soldier…," Ares declared as he began pacing, thinking of each of his elite warriors.

"I don't believe any of your soldiers could match Sora. However… I could provide a champion that could face him."

"Someone better than my soldiers? HA! I'd like to see that!"

As if on cue, the wall beside them fell with a large crash, startling Ares. The masked man, however, remained unfazed as the wall continued to crumble away, revealing a giant boar clad in crimson armor similar to Ares himself. On its forehead it wore the same thorned heart symbol the masked man displayed so proudly.

"Allow to introduce the Havoc Beast," the masked man said. "As you can see, I've already given it an appropriate appearance. A creature as powerful as this would certainly be able to face Athena's champion."

Ares' face lit up with glee like a child's in a candy store. "How much do you want for it?" he desperately asked, "Two hundred drachma? Five hundred drachma? I own a city-state, you know! Money is no object!"

"I have no use for your currency. There is, however, a trade I would be willing to make. I will trade it for two hundred of your soldiers."

"My soldiers? I can't just give up my army!"

"What is an army compared to your sisters humiliation," the masked man said, raising his arm to begin a handshake.

Ares took a moment to think over the offer, weighing his choices. After some time, he raised his arm to meet the man's, shaking his hand while saying "You've got a deal!"

"Good," the masked man said with sinister glee, though Ares was to preoccupied to notice. The man approached the door. "You'll find I've already claimed your trade. I wish you luck in your attack…" The masked man finished his statement with a whisper, just quiet enough to avoid Ares' notice, "as foolish as it is."

Instead of reaching for the door, the masked man vanished into a cloud of darkness, disappearing as quickly as he had arrived.

Meanwhile, Ares laughed maniacally, rubbing his hands together with an enormous grin on his face. "You shouldn't of crossed me, Squirt… I'm gonna teach you what happens to people who mess with the god of war..."


	5. Ares

Sora once again stood before a cheering crowd, having defeated every champion that he faced. Hercules entered the arena to congratulate Sora for his victory.

"You've gotten a lot stronger than the the last time I saw you," Hercules said. "Are you ready for the last challenge?"

Sora looked at Hercules with confusion. "I won all of my matches."

"Didn't you read the flier? The champion goes up against me."

A huge grin overtook Sora's face. He had fought Hercules before, but a battle against the demi-god hero was always exciting. Sora nodded eagerly and the two moved to opposite sides of the arena.

Sora and Hercules dashed towards each other, Sora with his keyblade ready and Hercules charging a punch, only stopping at the sound of a large crash. They turned to see an entire section of the stands destroyed, Phil and the rest of the crowd barely escaping the destruction. Behind the crumbling structure stood a giant armored boar emblazoned with the Heartless emblem, a symbol Sora had seen countless times in the past.

A puff of crimson smoke appeared in the stands opposite the destruction, dissipating to show a familiar face. "Did you really think you could betray me and get away with it, Squirt?" Ares shouted, a vengeful smile gracing his face.

"Betray you?" Sora asked, his face displaying obvious bewilderment.

"You choose my goody two-shoes sister over me!" Ares shouted as he angrily shook his fists. "Now I'm going to make you regret it!"

"I knew he'd be trouble!" Phil shouted as he peaked his head out of the colosseum's entryway.

"Don't worry, Phil. I'll handle this." Hercules replied. His posture and tone shifted dramatically, displaying immense confidence and authority. "I'm afraid I must ask you and your pet to leave, Ares!"

"Stay out of this, Sport! This is between me and the traitor!" Ares responded.

"I cannot do that while the lives of innocent people are at risk. You've left me no choice." Hercules drew his sword and charged at Ares' mount, only to trip on a chain that had not been there seconds ago.

Two Shadows had appeared, each holding one end of a glowing golden chain. They nimbly moved around Hercules until the chain was wrapped around him.

"What?" Hercules said as he struggled against the chain. "I can't break free?"

"Chains strong enough to bind a god… not even you can muscle your way out of that, Sport!" Ares boasted as he chortled. "Now where was I? Oh yeah, the traitor!" Ares turned back to Sora still wearing his smug grin.

Firion and Sora dashed out of one of the coliseum entry ways with weapons in hand, having heard the crash caused by the first giant bolt. They dashed to Sora's side as he summoned his keyblade.

"That heartless… can it be?" Firion murmured.

"I knew this tournament was a bad idea!" Oswald shouted.

"Ha! You think a little backup's gonna help you? The Havoc Beast can't lose!"

"We'll see about that!" Sora said as he dashed towards the porcine Heartless, only to find it dashing towards him as well. Sora raised his Keyblade to block the charge but didn't expect the massive amount of force behind him, quickly pushing him back despite his best efforts.

Sora shifted his weight, pushing himself to the side moments before being rammed into the wall feet behind him. The Havoc Beast crashed into the wall, destroying it as easily as the stands before.

Meanwhile, Firion had approached the Heartless from behind, striking it with his sword. Unfortunately, the attack did little more then bounce off of the Havoc Beast's armor. Firion jumped backwards as it turned around, preparing for another charge.

"It's armor is too thick, we can't hurt it like this." Firion declared.

"Oh yeah?" Oswald responded. "Well how does it like this!" Oswald fired an ice crystal from his wand, but with no more success than Firion's attempt.  
"Ha!" Ares chuckled amongst the otherwise empty stands. "Nobody messes with Ares, the god of war!"

"Wait… I've got an idea!" Sora prepared for another charge, nimbly dodging while grabbing onto a piece of the Havoc Beast's armor. As it crashed into the debris of an already destroyed wall, Sora flipped onto its back.

The Havoc Beast rose once more, shaking violently as it tried to remove it's rider. It charged again in a rage, but Sora, using a horn like protrusion on its helm as a steering wheel, guided it up the stands toward Ares' seat.

The result was a massive crash throwing up massive amounts of dust and debris. Ares held the sides of the Havoc Beast's helmet, standing his ground despite the immense strength used against him.

"Not me, you idiot!" he said as he threw the Heartless across the coliseum.

Sora leaped off the beast moments before it crashed through another pile of rubble. The Havoc Beast rose again, its helmet visibly cracked.

"I see," Firion said to himself. "If you can't break something, find something that can."

"Hey, Ares!" Sora shouted as he dodged another charge. "Why don't you come down here and fight me yourself?"

"Sora, what are you saying?" Oswald frantically asked. "He's a god!"

But it was too late. Ares' face displayed an immense level of rage. Not only had "Squirt" betrayed him, but now he had the gall to challenge him. "You think you're strong enough to face me?" Ares said as he leaped down, creating a crater beneath his feet. "I'm gonna make you regret those words!"

Sora dashed towards the Havoc Beast, shouting to his friends along the way. "Keep him busy, guys. I'm gonna try that again!"

"You're smarter than you look, Sora," Firion said as he calmly approached Ares with his sword in hand.

"You can't be serious…" Oswald pouted. He shook his head a bit, wondering what he had gotten himself into, before casting Thunder on Ares.

Firion and Oswald took turns drawing Ares' attention, a strategy that added to the god's rage. Ares had lost any shred of focus, lashing out at whomever was the last to anger him.

It didn't take long for Sora to mount the Havoc Beast once more, directing it towards Ares again. Ares noticed the charge in time to land a strike with his sword, shattering the Havoc Beast's armor.

Sora quickly dispatched of the Heartless, striking it with a powerful blow. A giant heart rose from it, though something about it was strange. Rather than being colored a vibrant pink, it displayed a dismal and dreary grey.

Sora, Firion, and Oswald backed away from Ares, contemplating their next move. Ares himself had only just noticed that the Havoc Beast had fell, causing him to nearly explode with fury.

"NO! It was supposed to destroy you! The masked man promised!" Ares screamed.

"Masked man?" Firion whispered to himself.

Ares panted out of rage before madly laughing. "Fine! I'll just destroy you myself!"

"I think not," a familiar feminine voice spoke. Athena appeared with a flashing light, standing between Ares and Sora.

"Get out of my way, Athena! This is between me and Squirt!"

"Oh? As I recall,you brought a champion to battle him,and that champion lost heartily,' Athena boasted. "Sora has already bested you, brother. Or would you rather face the both of us?"

"Wait… they're brother and sister?" Sora mentioned, thought the comment was largely ignored.

"Fine…" Ares said, not willing to risk a battle against both his rival and a boy who had defeated a demi-god. "But this isn't over! I won't forget this!" Ares vanished in a poof of crimson smoke.

Sora rushed to Hercules, the danger finally gone. He helped remove the chains, a feet surprisingly easy for one not bound by them.

"Thanks, Sora," Hercules said as he brushed himself off. "You never cease to amaze me."

"No problem!" Sora gleefully replied. "So, how about that final match?"

"I don't think so, unfortunately. That Heartless did a lot of damage to the coliseum, and I'm pretty sure the audience is a bit spooked."

The grin faded from Sora's face as he hunched his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Sora. As soon as the coliseum is fixed, we'll have a rematch, I promise. Besides, I think you've earned the trophy."

"Alright. I'll hold you too it!"

"I must congratulate you as well. I was right to make you my champion," Athena added.

"Thanks!" Sora said.

"Are we done now?" Oswald asked as he tapped his foot on the ground.

"Yeah, we can go soon," Sora replied.

Several minutes later, Sora had acquired his prizes as Oswald impatiently waited at the ship. "Come on, Sora! We have to get going if we're going to find Mick… er, you're friends," Oswald said.

"Right!" Sora rushed onto the ship only to realize someone was missing.

Firion remained in the arena, mumbling to himself. "A masked man… could it be him?"

"Firion, let's go!" Sora called out.

"Oh,yes." Firion entered the ship as well without saying another word.

"Shoot… I was hoping Sora forgot about him…" Oswald said under his breath.

"What was that?" Sora asked.

"Nothing, it was nothing. Let's just go." Oswald activated the engine and the gummi ship blasted off to the next adventure.

 **Secret Log 8**

This Sora is quite remarkable. It was not long ago that I heard of his battle against Ansem, a battle Sora won handily. Unfortunately Kingdom Hearts was sealed away in the aftermath, but I already have an alternative planed.

Afterwards, the Organization tried to capture him, but the only result was the loss of several of their members. So many of my enemies have fallen to him, but that does not make him an ally. He opposes the Heartless as much as the Organization.

I learned from one of the Organization's remaining members that Sora was resting in the castle they tried to keep him in. I saw that as a grand opportunity to obtain his heart, but he was gone when I arrived.

I did find several notes left behind by the Organization, however. They depicted several plans with which they hoped to control Sora, the most interesting involving changing Sora's memories. It seems they continued with it, but I was sure there was only one among them capable of doing such a thing. Was I mistaken?


	6. Honor Among Street Rats

Sora and his friends walked through a bustling marketplace, the desert sun harshly shining in the sky. Peddlers displayed wares of all kinds, from fruit to jewelry and more. Among the many shoppers admiring these wares were two familiar faces.

"No, that simply won't do!" one of them, a raven-haired woman, asserted as she bartered with a cloth salesman. "He needs something special, something dashing."

"Ah, I see! You've come to the right place! There is no finer silk in all of Agrabah!" the salesman responded.

"Silk?" the woman's companion objected. "I don't need anything like that, Jasmine."

"Aladdin, what if there's a royal event? You'll need something better than your old clothes," the woman insisted before turning back to the peddler. "Could I see some of your silk?"

"Of course," he giddily replied. "Please, come into my tent. I'm certain we'll find something to fit your needs."

Aladdin bewilderedly scratched that back of his head for a moment before hearing the voice of an old friend.

"Aladdin!" Sora called out, eagerly waving his arms to get Aladdin's attention.

"Sora?" he responded. ""It's good to see you again!"

"You too!" Sora looked around, seeing two of the friends he had met in that world but not others. "Where's Genie and Carpet?"

"I guess they're still not back from his vacation. Where are Donald and Goofy?"

"I… I was hoping you knew," Sora moped. "We got separated."

"That's not good. I haven't seen them around Agrabah, but I'll let you know if I do."

"Thanks. Oh, I want you to meet somebody!" Sora turned around and called to his companions. "Guys! Come over here!"

The two obliged, through Oswald did so with a grumble.

"These are my friends, Oswald and Firion." Sora motioned to each of them as he said their names.

"It's nice to meet you!" Aladdin said. "Any friend of Sora's is a friend of mine! My name's Aladdin."

Oswald ignored him, turning to Sora with an impatient look. "So there's no sign of them here? Then we better get going."

The conversation was interrupted by a shout from one of the nearby guards. "Thief!"

A girl in raggy clothes dashed past Sora and his friends, a series of guards in hot pursuit. She ran through the crowd, grabbing onto a clothesline and trapezing across the street, avoiding the obstacles below.

"Not bad…" Aladdin quietly commented, having once been in her shoes. "Sora, let's go check this out!" he urged as he joined the pursuit.

"Yeah!" Sora agreed, following suit.

"Wait!" Oswald yelped. "We don't have time for this!" Unfortunately, it was too late. Sora had vanished into the crowd, much to Oswald's dismay.

The girl continued to nimbly navigate the streets, eventually finding herself in an alleyway. With nowhere left to run and the guards still on her tail, she scrambled up the wall in a panic only to feel a hand grab her ankle.

"Not so fast, street rat!" the head guard exclaimed, pulling her to the ground and throwing her to his men.  
"Stop!" Aladdin commanded. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked with an authoritative tone Sora hadn't heard from him before. Noticing Sora's unease, Aladdin whispered to him. "Just let me handle this."

"This woman is a thief!" the head guard explained, pulling a loaf of bread from the sash around her waist. "Of all people, you should know the consequences!"

Aladdin chuckled. "Poor, poor, Razoul... You don't recognize her, do you?"

The head guard took a moment to comprehend Aladdin's words. "Wh.. what? Should I?"

"You certainly should!" the girl chimed in. "I'm… uh…"

"She's the Sultan's personal bread inspector," Aladdin finished.

"Yeah!" the girl cheered, grateful for the help.

"A bread inspector?" Razoul laughed. "As if such a thing exists!"

Aladdin whispered to Abu as Razoul continued his laughing fit before speaking to the guard again. "Oh yeah? She can prove it!"

A look of nervousness crossed the girl's face, not knowing where Aladdin was taking this plan. "I can?"

"I would love to see that!" Razoul dared.

Despite his confidence, Razoul failed to notice Abu crawling up the wall next to him, reaching into his belt bag, and pulling out a gold-colored badge. Abu dashed to the girl and handed her the medal. It didn't even take her a moment to realize what to do with it.

"How about this, then?" she exclaimed, practically shoving the medal into the guard's face.

Razoul's face went pale in disbelief. "That's… that's a royal medal… Only those chosen by the sultan get one…"

"That's right! You were about to blow a very important bread inspection! Now how about you walk away before I report you to the sultan myself!"

Razoul stepped back several times before running away, his men following shortly after.

Aladdin laughed after they had vanished. "That oughta teach them a little respect!"

"You stood up for me…" the girl mused. "No one's ever done that for me before."

"Oh, uh, I mean it was nothing!" Aladdin said. "I've had trouble with him, too."

Sora picked up the bread she had stolen from the ground, handing it back to her. "Here's your bread back…" His words trailed into silence after noticing she had no interest in him, her focus entirely on Aladdin.

She approached him with a dreamy look in her eyes, one Aladdin found hard to ignore. "My name's Sadira. What's yours?"

"Uh… I'm… Aladdin…" he nervously replied. There was only one woman in his heart, making the situation a difficult one for him. "You know… stealing isn't always the, uh, answer…" His speech accelerated as he backed away, Sadira keeping up with his pace. "So I'll go give the bread vendor a few coins. Bye!" He bolted back into the crowd, desperate to escape what could have been a dangerous situation.

Sora hesitated to follow at first, glancing back at Sadira. It became obvious she was still fixated on her hero, so he slowly followed Aladdin, leaving her alone.

All alone, Sadira daydreamed. "Aladdin…" Sadira said to herself. "What a perfect name…" She began to twirl with elation, as if she had been given the greatest gift she had ever received.


	7. Bazaar Skuffle

"Aladdin!" Sora called, searching through the busy bazaar in search of his friend. Since their encounter with Sadira, Sora had lost him in the congregation of potential customers.

"There you are!" shouted a voice from the crowd. Oswald rushed to Sora, chastising him like almost like a mother would a child. "Don't run off like that!"

"Oh, Oswald!" Sora replied, still looking around in every direction. "Did you see Aladdin? I can't find him."

Oswald shook his head in disappointment. "Remember what we're here for, Sora. Donald and Goofy, your friends? We can't waste time!"

A series of screams sounded through the crowd, shortly followed by a stampede of shoppers. When the crowd had cleared, a group of familiar shadows filled their place.

"Heartless!" Sora stated, summoning his Keyblade as Oswald drew his wand. Firion wasn't far behind, already wielding his sword.

"Sora!" Aladdin called, rushing to their side with a scimitar. "Let's take these guys out!"

The quartet of heroes made quick work of their umbral foes, bringing peace back to the city streets in barely a minute. Agrabah's guards, Razoul included, rushed to the scene, examining the extent of the damage caused by the battle. Jasmine also appeared, joining Sora's group with a worried expression.

"Is everyone okay?" she asked Aladdin.

"Everyone's fine," he assured. "There weren't that many of them. Besides, I had a little help."

"Oh, Sora! It's good to see you!" Jasmine had been so preoccupied with the safety of her people that she failed to notice the return of her old friend. "I see you're still fighting the Heartless."

"Someone has to do it," Sora crowed.

"We've had quite a bit of trouble with them recently," she mentioned.

"I could go take them out if you want," Sora offered.

"Don't worry," Aladdin assured, "I've got everything under control."

"See? Nothing to do here, let's get going," Oswald insisted.

"Aladdin, you're so brave!" Sadira joined the group with the same whimsical look as before, almost leaping onto him.

"Uhm… Jasmine, I'd like you to meet a new friend of mine," he stuttered. "This is Sadira. Sadira, this is my girlfriend, Jasmine."

"Oh…" Sadira murmured, realizing why he had been so nervous before.

Jasmine politely introduced herself, outstretching her hand to initiate a handshake. "Hello, Sadira! It's nice to meet you."

"Good afternoon..." Sadira sighed, reluctantly accepting the gesture.

"Everything seems to be in order…" Razoul observed, still examining the damages. Not paying attention, he bumped into Sadira, angrily turning around. Upon seeing her face, however, he quickly took a passive stance. "Oh, madam bread inspector! I do hope everything is up to standards."

"Yes, everything is just fine," she confidently reported, doing her best to keep up the ruse. "You may carry on."'

Jasmine thought for a moment before speaking up, mentally checking her facts. "Agrabah doesn't have a bread inspector."

Razoul stopped in his tracks, his fists clenching.

"Of course it does. How would you know?" Sadira boldly questioned.

"Because my father is the Sultan," Jasmine quipped, draining the color from Sadira's face.

"Wait… then you're… Princess Jasmine?" Sadira whimpered.

Jasmine and the guards nodded as Razoul approached Sadira from behind. "Bread inspector, eh?" he asked, furious that he had been fooled.

With a quick jab to Razoul's chest, Sadira ran back into the streets. "After her!" Razoul commanded.

Aladdin couldn't take a step before being held back by Razoul, receiving a nasty glare from the head guard. "You stay out of it this time, boy!" Razoul joined the chase as Aladdin could only watch.

"Aladdin, what did you do?" Jasmine queried, wearing a stern look while crossing her arms.

Aladdin gave a nervous chuckle in reply, struggling to come up with an explanation. "I, uh… I couldn't tell you."

"Aladdin," she reiterated. The look in her eyes told Aladdin that there was no way out of this one.

"I… I saw her being chased so I thought I would give her a hand," he admitted.

"Aladdin, we've been over this," she chastised. "The guards still don't completely trust you. You have to let them do their jobs."

"I know, I know. It's hard to do when you've been there."

Jasmine let out a sigh as a small smile replaced her scowl. "Just be careful. The last thing I want is for you to get in more trouble with them."

Aladdin scratched the back of his head with a chuckle. "I'll try."

Jasmine turned to Sora. "So, what brings you to Agrabah?"

"I was hoping Donald and Goofy were here," Sora said with a twinge of sadness. "I lost them a while back."

"That's awful!" Jasmine sympathized. "Have you had any luck here?"

"No, but it's fine," Sora replied, the sadness fading away. "I'm sure I'll find them soon. Anyway," he trailed, taking note of Oswald's impatience, "I guess we should go soon."

"But didn't you just get here?" Jasmine exclaimed. "At least stay for dinner! I'll have my chefs prepare a feast!"

Sora was already sold. It had been quite some time since his last freshly cooked meal, largely due to spending a great deal of time on the Gummi Ship. His mouth watered as his mind concocted images of delicacies and entrees, even if he had no idea what would be served.

Before Sora could say a word, Oswald curtly interjected. "I'm sorry, princess, but we are on a mission. We can't afford to waste time."

"Awww, please!" Sora begged, practically on his knees.

"Hmmm…" Jasmine pondered for a moment, trying to come up with a way to appease Oswald. "Your mission is to find Donald and Goofy, right?"

"Uhm… yes…" Oswald hesitantly responded, almost as if there were more to it.

"How about this. If you have dinner at the palace, I send some of my best guards to search for them. Agrabah is a big place, after all. I doubt either I or Aladdin know about everything that happens here."

"See, Oswald? It'll be fine!" Sora said with a giant smile.

"I… uhhh…" Oswald doubted that Donald and Goofy could be there without their friends from Agrabah knowing. _If they came here, they'd probably try to get help from someone they knew,_ he thought. _They wouldn't just wander around…_

Even thinking that, however, didn't seem to be enough to convince him leaving was the right thing to do. Oswald couldn't place it, but something was making him hesitate. Perhaps it was that smile, a smile that reminded him of an old friend.

"Fine…" Oswald relented, prompting a cheer from Sora. "But after this, we're leaving!"


	8. Forgotten Sands

Sadira continued to navigate the city streets, Razoul and his men in close pursuit. The chase extended to a recently abandoned part of the city, a series of buildings still in shambles from sandstorms that occurred months ago. She dived into one of the wrecked houses, stopping to catch her breath.

"Where'd she go?" one of the guards shouted.

"This way!" Razoul commanded. He and his colleagues ran past the door of Sadira's hiding place, leaving their target with a moment of peace.

After the adrenaline had subsided and her nerves calmed, Sadira began to mope. "Terrific. Now he'll never be mine." She leaned against the wall in tears, sliding to the ground.

"Ah… young love," spoke a voice from the shadows of the decrepit building.

"Who's there?" Sadira shrieked as she shrunk into the corner.

"I am a friend." The owner of the voice revealed himself to be a man in darkly-colored clothes and a silvery mask covering his eyes. "And like you, I am a believer in true love."

"True love?" she sarcastically laughed. "It doesn't exist. Not only does he already have a girlfriend, but she's a rich and beautiful princess! How could I ever compete with that?"

"It's simple," the man asserted. "You have something she does not."

"What could I possibly have that she doesn't?"

"Talent," he answered. "I see it in you, an unimaginable power…"

"What are you…"

"Can't you feel it?" the masked man excitably answered, his arms outstretched and a grin on his face. "That power deep within you!"

A dark aura began to materialize around Sadira, at first frightening her.

"Do not be afraid," the man comforted. "This energy, this darkness… It as much a part of you as your thoughts. No, you should be happy! This is the power you hold, that she can never have… For you see, she holds no darkness in her heart."

Sadira pondered what she was hearing, still not completely believing it yet hoping none the less. "How do I use it?"

The man made a strange motion with his hand, conjuring what appeared to be a desk of some sort. Dust and cracks covered its surface, aged over what could have only been centuries. Several scrolls were stored in its shelves, all just as old as the desk the lied within. "Consider this a gift," he offered.

"What is it?"

"A remnant of an age long past. It was once owned by the witches of the sand before their city crumbled away."

"The witches of the sand…" Sadira thought aloud. "I thought they were just a myth."

"Every myth has its roots in truth."

"So? What is an old dusty desk going to do?"

"While the desk itself may be nothing more than an antique, there is a great deal of knowledge in these scrolls. You could learn much, from the history of the witches to the magic they used."

"Wait… Are you saying I can use magic?"

A simple nod from the man was all it took to set Sadira's spirits ablaze. She rushed to the desk, ecstatically skimming over the scrolls. It was only a matter of moments before she had forgotten all about its provider.

Satisfied with his work, the masked man summoned a portal and entered it. If Sadira had been paying attention, she might've heard him muttering to himself.

"It will only be a matter of time before the darkness takes her… Then all of Agrabah will join me." The portal vanished as if it had never been there, leaving Sadira to her own devices.

Over the course of the next few hours, Sadira experimented with the spells she had learned, creating various perfect sculptures of sand. Her final one, a perfect replica of Aladdin, thrilled her. That excitement dulled, however, when she remembered why she was learning those spells in the first place.

"This is great and all, but how is this going to get me Aladdin." She tapped her foot several times trying to come up with a plan before spotting a shimmering object on one of the desks shelves.

"What's this?" she wondered aloud, picking it up. The object was a medallion fitted with a massive red gemstone. "It's flashy, but that doesn't matter."

She tossed it into the sand behind her before noticing a scroll that had been hidden by the amulet. She pulled it out and began to read it, a huge smile appearing on her face.

She dashed back to the amulet, picking it up and pointing its gem at the sand. The sand began to rise at the stone's command, forming into a vague man-like shape. Unlike the other sculptures, however, this one was alive.

The sand creature approached menacingly as Sadira covered her face. It only stopped when the shine from the amulet met its eyes, repelling it.

 _The scroll was right…_ she thought to herself, amazed that such a thing was possible. "That's right, I have the amulet!" she boasted. "You have to listen to me!"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it, I know the rules," the sand-man responded, not at all thrilled about his current situation. "So what's it gonna be then, eh? My specialty is smashing stuff!" He seemed to be very proud of that.

"Actually, that's not really what I had in mind," Sadira explained, pacing around her giant servant. "You see, there's this really cute guy..."

The golem was infuriated that he would be summoned for such a trivial reason. "Do I look like a dating service to you?" He raised a fist and demolished the wall next to him. "I smash stuff, I do!"

 _It's a good thing nobody's around_ , Sadira thought to herself.

She raised the amulet to the creature, forcing him to calm down again.

"Alright, alright! You're the boss…" he shrugged.

With a triumphant smile, Sadira returned to her favorite sculpture. "This is Aladdin. His girlfriend is a princess." She waved her hand and created another sculpture, this one of Jasmine. "I can't compete with that! So I figure…"

"Let me guess…" the monster asked, now wearing a wicked grin. He picked up the Jasmine sculpture and crushed it, the sand flowing out of his hand. "You want me to eliminate the competition?"


	9. Dinner & Desert

"But that mean old Captain Hook didn't stand a chance!" Sora exclaimed as he sat at a table filled with food, his mouth half full. "We knocked him right off his own ship!"

"I still can't believe you flew," Aladdin argued. "You're no Carpet."

"I did!" Sora nearly jumped on top of the table.

"Then why can't you fly now?" Aladdin crossed his arms, confident that he had broken Sora's claim.

"I need... uhh… what was it called?" Sora pondered shortly before practically screaming the answer. "Pixie dust!"

"Right…" Aladin sarcastically responded, rolling his eyes.

Jasmine giggled at the argument, clearly enjoying the dinner before noticing how silent Sora's other friends had been.

Oswald was no doubt enjoying the food, but he was trying his best to hide it. It was fairly obvious that he would've rather been somewhere else. On the other hand, while Firion had eaten a bit, he seemed indifferent.

"Where are your friend's from, Sora?" Jasmine asked.

"Uhh… I don't really know." While Sora had no problem discussing the existence of other worlds with Jasmine, largely due to events that occurred not that long ago, he had never thought to ask where his new friends had come from. He turned to them with a quizzical look "Where are you from?" he asked, turning to them.

The question seemed to startle Oswald far more that expected. "I'm… uhh… I'm from Tranquil Town, of course!"

"Is that so?" Firion asked. "You don't sound too confident."

"Yeah, it is so!" Oswald insisted.

Sora turned his head curiously at Oswald's sudden and strange claims but chose not to pursue the matter. "What about you, Firion?"

"Hmm…" Firion seemed to be lost in thought, apparently not even sure himself. "I suppose the best answer would be Tranquil Town for me as well, though I'm not sure I would call it home anymore."

"Yeah, right!" Oswald shouted in disbelief. "I never saw you there before! That's just where we found you! Where are you really from, huh?"

"Why would I lie about that? I've merely been away for quite some time," Firion calmly replied. "Also, I don't think I'm the one trying to hide something here."

"I…" Oswald sputtered for a moment, unable to come up with an argument. After a moment, he crossed his arms and grumbled in defeat.

It wasn't hard for Jasmine to sense the tension between Oswald and Firion. "They're very interesting, at the least," she interjected, hoping to end the subject.

"I guess that's one way of putting it," Aladdin added.

"Are we done yet?" Oswald rudely asked.

"Not yet," Jasmine answered. "The search party hasn't come back. I'm sure they will soon, though."

Oswald rolled his eyes for a moment before a huge crash from outside interrupted the awkward conversation.

Jasmine practically jumped out of her chair. "What was that?"

Aladdin was already out the door, shouting back. "I'll go check."

"I'll come, too!" Sora added, accompanying Aladdin.

"Sora, stop!" Oswald demanded to no effect. With a frustrated growl, he chose to follow as well, Jasmine and Firion not far behind.

When Sora and Aladdin arrived at the source of the crash, they found what appeared to be a giant man made of sand. The wall behind him had been completely destroyed, leaving just enough room for him to enter.

"Stop! Who…" Aladdin began to ask before wondering if it was even the right question. "What are you?"

"What? Never seen a sand golem before?" the monster asked, acting as if such creatures were commonplace in Agrabah.

"I know I haven't," Sora shrugged.

"Why did you break the wall?" Aladdin asked.

The golem sighed heavily. "Look, let's just get to the point, alright? I'm just doing my job. Just let me take the princess and I'll be on my way."

"I don't know who you are, but I won't let you take Jasmine!" Aladdin fearlessly declared, his sword pointed at the invader.

"Oh? You're gonna try to stop me?" the golem chuckled. "Looks like I'm gonna smash something after all." He raised his arms before quickly dropping them to the ground, creating enough force to shatter the palace tiles below.

"Too slow!" Sora exclaimed, having already leaped to the right. Aladdin had the same idea, sliding to his left.

"Sora!" Aladdin called, preparing to charge with his sword while Sora prepared did the same from the opposite side. The two tried to dash through the golem with their weapons, only to find them lodged within its granular body.

The golem guffawed at their attack, grabbing his now stationary foes as their weapons sunk further into his body. He lifted them into the air, gloating with a grin. "Is that all you've got?" He threw them against the wall before comically spitting their weapons away, the Keyblade vanishing as it hit the ground.

"Aladdin! Sora!" Jasmine shouted as she entered the scene with the others.

"I knew something bad would happen!" Oswald stormed.

"Jasmine, get out of here!" Aladdin fretted.

"Jasmine, eh? Then you must be the princess," the golem thought aloud. Before she could respond, he grabbed her and threw her into his mouth. At the same time, his belly formed into a makeshift prison cell, complete with bars made of sand giving a view to the outside.

It wasn't long before Jasmine found herself trapped in that cell, unable to break the bars despite their unusual composition. "Aladdin!"

"No!" Aladdin sprinted towards the monster despite being unarmed in an attempt to save her, only to be knocked away by a simple flick from a giant finger.

After seeing Aladdin be flung back, Sora summoned his Keyblade and tried another attack himself, launching a leaping strike on the golem. His attempt was no more successful, however, as the golem swiped his palm and launched Sora away as well.

The golem exited the palace through the giant hole he had created before diving into the garden just outside, leaving a massive tunnel behind.

Refusing to stay down, Aladdin dashed to the tunnel. "Guys, come on!"

Sora and Firion followed without hesitation, leaving Oswald behind. "Why can't he just stick to looking for Donald and Goofy?" The rabbit reluctantly dove down the tunnel as well.


	10. The Purpose of a Friend

Night had set by the time Sora's group emerged from the tunnel, finding themselves in an abandoned area of Agrabah.

"What happened here?" Sora asked, taking note of the ruined buildings.

"We had a few sandstorms a while ago," Aladdin explained. "But why would that thing bring Jasmine here?"

"Let's go find out!" Sora exclaimed, rushing into the streets in search of the golem.

Meanwhile, the sand golem had returned to the room where he had been summoned, Jasmine still imprisoned in his barred belly. "Is this the princess you wanted? I didn't see any others lying around," he asked Sadira, who had been lounging on a throne crafted with her new powers. The golem seemed to be unimpressed with Sadira's recent handiwork, clearly still not happy with his current assignment. "Now can I go smash something?"

Sadira rose from her seat, speaking to the golem with a commanding tone. "Not until I decide what to do with her." She spun the amulet's chain around in her hand whimsically.

"Sadira?" Jasmine confusedly observed. "You're behind this monster? But how?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention I was the master of the ancient sands?" Sadira bragged. "Silly me!" She commanded the sand to rise below her feet, raising her so she could speak with the still trapped Jasmine face to face. "I wonder if Aladdin would prefer a sorceress to a princess?"

"That's what this is about?" Jasmine asked with shock, She pleaded as Sadira lowered her platform and walked away. "Don't be a fool! You can't force someone to love you!"

Sadira snarled at the suggestion, turning around angrily. "Shut up! I don't care what you say, he will love me!" Doubt flooded her mind for a moment as she muttered to herself. "He has to…" She commanded the golem once more, done with the conversation. "Sand beast, take her away."

The golem scratched his head, trying to understand the command. "Where would you like me to take her?"

Sadira sighed with frustration. "I don't know, just find a hole or something."

The golem gave an equally annoyed sigh in return. "Listen. All I do is smash stuff. I know, I'm a one trick pony, I get it. Now if you want her squished into an itsy-bitsy paste, then I'm your monster. Otherwise," he said as he crossed his arms, "forget it."

"I don't want to hurt her," Sadira objected. "I just want to get rid of her."

"Jasmine!" Aladdin called out, he and Sora entering the scene. "Wait… Sadira?"

The golem chuckled and cracked his non-existent knuckles in anticipation. "I know I can smash these ones, right?"

"No!" Sadira yelled before her frayed nerves got the best of her. "I mean… I don't know…"

"You don't know?" the golem boomed. "You summon an entity of darkness and you don't know what to do with him?" He snatched the amulet from Sadira's hand. "Give me that!"

"But you can't do that!" Sadira asserted as she reached to take it back, with no success.

The golem swung the amulet by its chain tauntingly as he disagreed. "You've got trouble facing reality, haven't you? Now, I'm going to show you how to make decisions. One! I decide to take the amulet," he said as he threw it into the air, swallowing it.

"Two! I decide to take this pretty-boy!" The golem snatched Aladdin, simultaneously knocking Sora away. He then ate Aladdin as well, adding him to his cell.

"Three! I go and destroy Agrabah!" With a mighty leap, he dove into the ground, obliterating the floor below and creating another tunnel in the process.

Sora returned to his feet, brushing himself off. Before pursuing the golem again, he heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Sora, stop!" Oswald shouted as he and Firion finally caught up. "Could you stop running off for five minutes? This isn't our problem!"

"Of course it is. Aladdin and Jasmine are in trouble," Sora explained. His focus was pulled away from his friends as he noticed Sadira on her knees, sobbing into her hands.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," she moped. "I just wanted Aladdin to like me."

"I'm sure he liked you," Sora obliviously said.

"But he was with the Princess! Why would he want me if he could have royalty… I thought if I had powers, he'd…" Sadira trailed off, begging to see the folly of her plan.

"Oh… Ooooh…" Sora finally realized that she had been talking about romance rather than friendship. "Yeah, he definitely loves her. I'm sure you could still be friends though!"

"Yeah right," she denied. "That monster's probably going to crush him. Even if he gets away, he probably wouldn't want to see me ever again. Not after what I've done."

"I don't know about that." Sora knelt down to her level in an attempt to comfort her. "Aladdin's a pretty cool guy. I'm sure he'd give you another chance."

Sadira didn't seem convinced, turning away sadly.

"Hey, if you want to make it up to him, you could help save him!"

Oswald's ears perked up, a rage boiling inside him. "You aren't going to fight that thing, are you?"

"Of course I am," Sora answered frankly. "Besides, I've fought worse monsters than that."

"That's not the problem!" Oswald argue. "This isn't our fight!"

"Of course it is. Aladdin's our friend, right? Friends are supposed to help each other, even when things look impossible." He turned back to Sadira as he stood up, holding out his hand to Sadira with a smile. "So what are we waiting for?"

As if she had seen a light shining in the darkness, a smile crossed Sadira's face as well. She grabbed Sora's hand as he helped her to her feet.

Sora's words seemed to resonate with Oswald as well, the rabbit looking to the ground as he thought to himself. "Wait…" Oswald muttered. "I'll… I'll help too!"

"Oh?" Firion added. "So the little rabbit _does_ have a heart. What made you decide to be so enthusiastic?"

"It's… It's none of your business!" Oswald exclaimed, undoubtedly flustered. "As soon as we get this done, we're out of here!"

"Whatever you say, little rabbit," Firion snarkily replied, not fooled by Oswald's objections in the slightest.

"Is everyone ready?" Sora asked, quickly receiving three nods in response. "Then let's go help our friends!" The quartet dived into the tunnel, ready to face the golem.


End file.
